Smoking In The Boys' Room Outtakes and Insights
by CorrinaTFF
Summary: Peeks into some things you may or may not want to know about SITBR... the befores, afters and durings.
1. Summer Fun With Dad

**Disclaimer:****All publicly recognizable characters, settings, and plot are the property of Stephenie Meyer. As much as I'd love to be, I am not in any way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. **

**Please do not copy, post, print or use any portion of this story without the express permission of the author—namely me. Your cooperation is much appreciated and wholly expected. **

**_A/N: _****_Thank you to Carabeth and Tiffanyanne3FF for getting this back so quickly._**

**_Poor Charlie never gets enough "airtime". I wanted you to see more of Daddy and his little girl. This precedes Chapter one._**

**_Hope you enjoy. Either way, please to be clicking on the review button and leave one. Thank you!_**

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summer fun with Dad ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

In early August, Dad decided to surprise me with a trip to Arizona. He was trying to do something he thought I would like. He knew I loved Arizona when I was little. I loved the sun, it always made me smile. There was just never enough of it in Forks. Camping in the South Rim of the Grand Canyon was fun, but hiking it had been another issue altogether. I don't think Dad fully understood how clumsy I really was. I didn't have it in me to fault him because his heart had been in the right place, but no one should take someone with my imbalance anywhere near a place with high altitudes.

Nevertheless, Dad had decided hiking in the South Rim would be a good activity and scheduled the excursion early in the day to avoid the August heat. If only the heat had been the problem. About an hour into our hike, my foot got caught on a small protruding rock and I stumbled down a pathway, twisting up my ankle and scraping my hands. The guide quickly assessed my ankle and called in for a medic. I had been taken to a nearby hospital where my ankle was x-rayed. It wasn't broken, but I did have a really bad sprain and was told to stay off it as much as possible.

My poor father and his incessant love for all things nature were now pushed to the wayside for the rest of our trip. Since all planned activity had been cut from the itinerary, out of sheer boredom ,we ended up driving down to Flagstaff in the early morning. After breakfast, Dad decided we couldn't do much in the way of camping, and there were only so many times you could play Gin—unless you were drinking it.

"Why don't we take a drive down to NAU and see about getting in on one of those tours?"

"Dad, seriously? Don't you need to make an appointment or something? I'm not even a junior yet." I didn't know if I was ready to start looking yet. I knew I needed to, but now that he brought it up, the thought unnerved me. "Do I really need to be looking at colleges right now? Besides, don't you want me to go some place close to home? I mean, do we really want to pay out-of-state tuition?" I hoped bombarding him with questions would help to change his mind. He always got nervous when I asked him questions. He was too used to being the interrogator, not the interviewee.

I knew we couldn't afford for me to go to college, let alone attend out of state colleges. But he knew I had always wanted to go to Northern Arizona University, the "Home of the Lumberjacks." When I was little I thought it would be cool to go to school with a bunch of axe-wielding musclemen. That was, until I met Emmett McCarty. Lumberjacks had nothing on that teddy bear of a guy.

"Bells." He shifted slightly in his seat and rubbed at his moustache. "It wouldn't hurt to at least look. I've been listening to you talk about college for the last four years. Now you sit there and tell me you don't want to take a look around? It's only about a twenty minute drive from here. What's gotten into you?" He seemed genuinely excited, and I had talked about going to college since arriving in Forks. I'd had big dreams even then and none of them included the tiny mill town of Forks, Washington.

I sighed heavily, hoping to put off the inevitable conversation for a much later time. I hated talking about monetary issues with my father. I knew our situation wasn't dire by any means, but it's not like we had money just lying in drawers. We lived in the same house my grandparents had helped my dad buy when he and Mom had married. Dad had never purchased a new car to replace his broken-down truck, because he always had the Cruiser. The money we had spent on my monster of an ancient truck was small, but only because it was Billy Black's old beater and he couldn't drive anymore.

Jake had declined the truck, instead opting to fix up a Volkswagen Rabbit. The truck would have sat and rusted. I honestly didn't know which life would have been better for the jalopy.

"Alright, Dad, we'll go. But if they say we need to have an appointment, we leave. No arguments." I was putting my foot down. Gently.

He narrowed his eyes at me, then smiled from under his bushy lip. "You've got a deal, Bells."

I had a feeling I was going to regret agreeing to this. Touring a campus wasn't exactly ideal for a girl on crutches. My arms were already sore just from huffing it to the car from our hotel in Williams.

*********

We pulled into a lot designated for campus tours, following the signs that eventually led us to Sechrist Hall. As luck would have it, you didn't have to have an appointment as long as you showed up during one of the tour times. We were thirty minutes early for the next tour.

Dad gave me his victory smile and went to speak with the woman greeting everyone before joining me at the bench I had claimed.

"This is nice." He was looking around the entry hall, smiling so widely I could see his teeth from under his moustache.

"Dad, are we really going to do the small talk thing?"

"Bells, humor your old man. You could go here and have a good life. It looks like there is plenty to do around here. More than Forks anyway." He winked and patted my knee in a comforting gesture. Whether it was for my comfort or his, I wasn't completely sure.

After about ten minutes of silence between us, it was time to take the tour. The guide informed us that they would be giving us lunch at the end. That little tidbit of information had my dad smiling like the cat that ate the canary, and it had a positive effect on my mood. Simple pleasures for a simple man.

We were given information on the admissions process: paperwork, activities improving the look of an application, fees for admission, etcetera. They advised us that should we choose to return in September, we could go through a "Regular Campus Visit" and be further educated through the Academic Information Session. I looked at Dad, who looked at me in question, and I shook my head no. He frowned a little, shrugged, then looked back to our tour guide. We finished our tour without any further father-daughter exchanges.

It was a good thing lunch was included on this little tour, because I was starving by the time it was over. I was exhausted as well, but at the time, hunger was winning the battle for dominance in my body. Dad captured the attention of our tour guide again before sitting to eat his lunch. He spent the better part of fifteen minutes making small gestures as he carried on a conversation with the girl. I assumed she was a student working on campus for the summer. When Dad came back to the table, he carried an additional folder and a broader smile.

"What's all that?" I asked, my mouth full of a bite of sandwich.

"Academic information. Just because they didn't give us the session doesn't mean we can't get the information." He shrugged, patting the folder. "It's something to look over in the hotel room."

"When did you become a reader?" I joked.

"When my daughter decided she wanted to do something with her life that involved reading." He tapped my nose with a napkin, handing it to me. "Wipe the mustard…there," he stuttered out, making a circular motion toward my mouth with his index finger.

We ate in a comfortable silence, throwing our items away when we were done, and headed out to the car. I didn't remember the drive back to Williams let alone getting into the rental car. Dad said I passed out almost as soon as I had sat down.

That was the last night we spent in Williams. Dad decided there was no sense in staying the whole time if we couldn't really do anything. The next afternoon, we hopped a flight back to Seattle. Home again.


	2. 2010 FGB Outtake  Learning Bella

**FGB Outtake – Smoking in the Boys' Room**

**Disclaimer:****All publicly recognizable characters, settings, and plot are the property of Stephenie Meyer. As much as I'd love to be, I am not in any way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. **

**Please do not copy, post, print or use any portion of this story without the express permission of the author—namely me. Your cooperation is much appreciated and wholly expected. **

*******My beautiful betas and Team Leader looked this over and gave their approval; *****  
*****I do hope it meets with yours. ***********

**A little reminder of where this outtake stems from: **

_**Chapter 5: Musings and Mediation**_

_**For the next two weeks, I walked Bella to each one of her classes so that her books didn't put any unnecessary strain on her. Okay, so I was milking the chance to be with her for all it was worth. I even had Mrs. Cope issue a pass to me, which then allowed me to be late to my classes, just so I could help Bella get around.**_

_**The only teacher that really gave a shit about my tardiness was Mr. Varner. I swear that guy was a total douche. He hated any student having any kind of popularity, prompting the entire football team to have a massive study session every Thursday after practice. Any make-up work from the week would be taken care of, and anyone needing tutoring got it. Thursday study sessions sucked, because that was one less afternoon a week to get closer to Bella.**_

_**In those two weeks taking care of Bella, I learned so much about her. I shared just as much about my life in Chicago. She was different and my need to be with her grew stronger every day.**_

**I do hope you enjoy.**

-~~{()}~~-

**Learning Bella**

**EPOV**

-~~{()}~~-

Things were vastly different here than they were back home, and yet everything I had thought this fucked-up small town would be was in the shitter. I thought girls in small towns were these hick types that were all bulky and shit. I was surprisingly proven wrong by a girl I'd just met-Bella. I admit, some of the other girls weren't exactly like I'd expected either, but Bella was the one that stuck in my mind. She was occupying my daydreams and my sleeping dreams. Who could have guessed that I would meet anyone like her in this place? Then again, I didn't know what the fuck it was about her that was different from any other chick I _had_ ever met. I mean, she's fucking hot, but the way my body reacted to her was so much more than what Tanya or any of those other girls in Chicago ever did for me.

Fucking Tanya. She'd called while I was at Bella's with Uncle Carlisle. Mom said Tanya was obviously unhappy that I wasn't home to take her fucking call. She'd called five fucking times in an hour. I had made no promises to that chick, but somehow she thought I was still hers—enough to still demand my fucking attention. When I lived in Chicago it was one thing—she was a good piece of tail, and I knew how to work her—but now that I was away from her, I didn't give a fuck what she wanted.

Mom pleaded with me to call her back so that she didn't have to keep fielding calls like a receptionist. I didn't want to fucking talk to her. Tanya's mouth wasn't worth my time anymore. It wasn't like she could blow me over the damn phone. Besides, her voice never did anything for me anyway; come to think of it, her moans hadn't either. I texted her so I didn't have to hear the whiny pitch that would come from the other end of the call.

_**Stop fucking calling my damn house and bothering my mom. ~EC**_

I didn't hear from Tanya after that.

That night I slept like shit, because the memory of Bella's touch blazed on my arm. The feel of her body in my arms, mixed with the squeal that issued from her lips when I'd picked her up in my arms had my dick so fucking hard I thought I was going to explode. I didn't think she'd felt it—I was pretty sure I got her up high enough on my chest—but, fuck, no girl had ever done this shit to me. Don't get me wrong, girls had gotten me hard, but not with this pussy kind of shit.

Sunday, during a run, I thought about how I could go about getting to know Bella. Something about her made me want to be near her all the fucking time, but I couldn't figure that shit out. The electricity from when we touched was the thing that bothered me the most. It wasn't like I had rubbed my feet on carpet before I touched her. Besides, it didn't happen when I was around anyone else…only her. I could feel the charge when we were feet away from each other.

I tried strategizing like I would for a play on a football field. I was king there—the field was my domain. I knew my strategy for every yard, like I'd known how to play the chicks back home in Chicago. I supposed I could pull out some of my old moves, but I wasn't sure they'd work on her; like I said, she was different. Everything was. I had to change tack—new field, new plays; new girl, new rules.

The one move I was certain of? Doing whatever it took to get to know Bella. She was the end zone, and I needed to get the ball in play and over the line to score. It wasn't going to be easy. I knew it would take a few scrimmages, but it had to be worth it. If I got further than learning about her…well…I wasn't going to fucking complain. I'd been alone too long already.

Over and over again, my mind replayed everything that had happened Friday night. Her laughter echoed in my ears. The way her lips had slowly curved into a smile was ingrained in my memory. Her playfulness had matched mine perfectly. Fuck, if we hadn't been interrupted, we might have had a lot more fun. I may have even been able to kiss her or grope a little—which I really fucking wanted to do. That's what all that claw shit had been about. When she'd barked out her command, I took it as a dare. I wanted to see if she'd follow through on her threat, but they'd all come bursting in like they'd owned the place. _Fuck my life and her friends._

I'd slept like shit every night the entire weekend, because I couldn't stop thinking about all the possibilities that Monday would bring. I was the one that had fucking gotten her hurt, so I knew I should be the asshole to take care of her. It wasn't that I didn't want to, but I'd known her a whole fucking week. She had my gut twisting over and over again like a braid in a rope, and I couldn't figure that shit out. Add all that to the fear I had of her father, and I had become the world's biggest fucking pussy. No chick had ever twisted me up like this. None.

With all the thousands of thoughts of what didn't happen Friday night, what could happen on Monday, and what had actually happened in the last week, my dreams Sunday night had been vivid displays of Bella and I tangled up on the couch, pawing at each other. The only problem was I'd wake up just as my shirt was being pulled off over my head. Every. Fucking. Time. It was like some fucking cruel cosmic joke. Every time I awoke, I'd growled out in frustration and palmed myself, feeling the effects of what the dreams were doing to me. What _she_ was doing to me.

I gave in around five a.m. and decided to just start my long fucking day. I couldn't escape her no matter how hard I tried. Watching TV, listening to music, reading—all worthless. I thought about going for a run, but that hadn't worked on Sunday, so I decided to just take a long, hopefully relaxing, shower.

I let a good steam build before I stripped down and stepped under the heated waterfall to relieve some of the tension I was feeling. I was wound up so tight that if I couldn't uncoil my muscles, I may as well have stayed home. The last thing I needed was to be tense the entire day. If I ended up cramped up before practice I could wind up pulling a muscle or some shit. It wouldn't do me any good to get injured during practice when I was trying to get a spot on the team—preferably as the quarterback to replace that fucktard, Newton.

As I leaned forward, resting my head on my left arm, I stroked the water back over my head and stood under the spray. I had just closed my eyes to try to relax more when I heard someone whisper my name.

_Edward. Edward please…_

I spun around and found no one there. _There ya go, Cullen. You're hearing shit. _"Fuck that. If I was, it'd be better than a whisper." My voice echoed slightly in the stillness of the bathroom. _Fuck! Now I'm talking to myself._

I returned to my earlier position and closed my eyes. Bella's face appeared behind my lids, and I watched as her lips formed my name, uttering it in a long sigh-_"Edward…"_

_Fuck me. Why can't I get away from you?_ I opened my eyes and reached for the shampoo, quickly putting my hands into motion on my scalp to distract myself.

"_Edward? Don't you want to play a game?" _her voice sang out.

_Not fucking now._

"_But Edward, it could be fun."_

_Pfft, I doubt it._

"_Try me," _she dared._ "You know you want to."_

I turned and tilted my head back into the water, rinsing the suds from my hair and scrubbing at my scalp while willing her voice to stop.

"_Come on, Edward," _she taunted.

I growled loudly in frustration. "Fuck! Really?" _Cullen, you're losing control. Do it or don't, but make up your fucking mind now. _

I snatched up the soap and built a good lather in my hands as I stepped just out of the stream. I slid my hand over my shoulder and down my arm, to return to build additional lather in my hands before working the other side. I quickly rubbed the lather under my arms and then proceeded down my torso. I skipped over the now prominent morning wood that seemed to be growing rather than receding. I bent to suds up my legs, and my dick bounced, begging for its own lathering. Fucker had a mind of his own, and he was not going to allow me to ignore him any longer.

I stepped back under the falling water, rolling my head back and allowing the water to spray over my face. It was a useless attempt at control, because my balls decided to chime in with their own objection to my lack of activity. I hefted a heavy sigh and reached for the soap to again lather my hands. I took my time, watching as the white foam built and glistened as it seeped through the cracks between my fingers.

I leaned against the side wall and felt a chill as my back hit the cold tile. It wasn't enough to tamp down the aching that my body desperately wanted resolved. I rocked my head back and gripped my shaft, slowly running my hand up and over the now hyper-sensitive tip. I hissed, feeling the tickle of painful pleasure that rode its way through my entire being as my body tingled with joy, knowing that it would finally gain some satisfaction.

I let my hand loosen slightly to ride its way back down my cock, and I reached down, briefly grasping my balls. They seemed to jump a little, and I closed my eyes as I felt prickles of heat run through my sac and into my abs.

Bella's image reappeared, but this time she licked her lips before gently biting down on her lower lip. As her lip began to slowly slide out from under her teeth, I wrapped my palms a little tighter and began to pump, easily slipping up and down. I ran my thumb over my tip and nearly lost it right then.

"_Hmm, yes," Bella urged._

_Gah! I want you._

"_I'm yours," _she declared_. _Her image began to back away, revealing her entire clothed body. She removed her hoodie, tossing it to the darkness surrounding her and took another step back.

_Don't leave, I begged. _

She slowly shook her head and began unbuttoning her shirt.

I gripped my balls with my left hand, feeling them constrict as I ran my thumb over my tip once again. My ab muscles contracted with the sensation, and I knew I was not going to last long. My last attempt at relief at been traumatically interrupted.

I could see Bella's bra peeking out from the opening in her shirt as she unbuttoned her third button, revealing the silken pallor of her skin.

I began to slide my hand more forcefully over my shaft—up to just below the mushroom of the tip, then back down to the base; up again and enclosing the tip, feeling the slippery bubbles burst from the pressure of my grip, back down to the base then back to the bulging engorged top.

I watched as Bella reached into the opening of her shirt and gripped the front clasp. She began to bend it forward to release it as I made another run over my cock's tip, and I exploded from just the anticipation of what she would be showing me. My body convulsed violently as I came, forcing me to double over. My legs weakened and began to shake, causing me to collapse onto the tiled bench of the shower as my knees began to give way.

Bella's image instantly vanished.

_Motherfuck!_

It had been weeks since I'd had any relief. It was like the first time I had got my nut off—well, this time I had lasted a little longer.

_How the fuck am I going to get through these next two weeks?_

_You'll get your nut off every morning, _came the reply_._

I was fucked.

-~~{()}~~-

It was only my second Monday into the school year—the second Monday since I'd met her—and thoughts of her were driving me fucking insane. I rushed through the rest of my morning, because I didn't want to be late picking Bella up to take her to school.

I wound up getting there way too fucking early and saw the chief's cruiser, sitting out front. I don't know what made me think it would take a half hour to get to her place—it wasn't like this place had fucking rush hour. I decided to drive around the block to kill some time and hoped like hell he'd be gone by the time I got back around.

"I'm just learning my way around town," I said to no one while white-knuckling the steering wheel. "And fucking talking to myself…again. Shit!" _Get a grip, asshole. What the fuck are you doing to yourself? She's just a girl. Nothing special. _But she was, and I still couldn't put my finger on why. Even the images that had toyed with me during my shower hadn't exposed anything more than what I had already been able to glimpse of her in the last week.

I took as much time as I could, driving as slowly as I dared without drawing attention to myself. When I made it back to Bella's, to my relief, the cruiser was gone. I hadn't been looking forward to facing the chief. The thought of having to sit there and make small talk with one gun-toting father, while waiting for his daughter-the object of my current obsession—was not my idea of a good time.

I pulled in behind her old beater of a truck and practically ran up to the door. I would have kicked my own ass if I was able. _What the fuck is wrong with me?_

_You've been pussified_, my buddy James's voice snarked. _Fuck, Cullen, did you lose your brass?_

I had always been able to count on him for playing devil's advocate and straighten my shit out when it came to chicks. He'd always told me girls were good for two things—what's between their legs and blows. That had been true with Tanya and Heidi.

I hoped Bella wasn't watching out the window, because my pussified ass was fucking embarrassing. I rang the doorbell and only seconds after, heard a crash. Thinking that she may have fallen down the stairs, I tried the door and luckily found that it was unlocked. I pushed the door open, rushing in and called out, "Bella?"

"Edward?" Bella came wobbling out on her crutches from the kitchen, brow furrowed. "Do you always enter people's homes unannounced?"

"I heard a crash and thought you hurt yourself." _I'm only trying to fucking help. What the fuck is your problem?_

"Did you hear a scream?" she demanded.

"Well, no, but what if you were hurt so bad that you couldn't scream?" _Besides, I'd rather hear you scream my name._

"You could have banged on the door, but instead you just came in," she answered.

"Because I wanted to make sure you were okay," I explained. _I would rather bang you anyway._

She stood there with her brow cocked at me. "I'm okay."

"Okay." I nodded. "Are you ready to go?" _I really need to get the fuck out of your house, before I do something I may regret. Or not._

"Yeah, I just need to grab my bag." She began to hobble off again.

"I'll get it; where is it?" She would have taken too long, and I really needed to get us the hell out of there. Friday night's memories and my morning shower were starting to invade my brain again.

"I'm perfectly capable of—" she began.

I put my hand up to stop her. "Uncle Carlisle said that you needed to keep any extra weight off your ankle, so where's the bag?" I demanded, harshly. It was getting more difficult to keep my mind straight—probably because of the lack of sleep.

She gave a heavy sigh. "In the living room…on the coffee table. You know, between you and my dad, I'm starting to feel like an invalid," she called after me.

"Hey, I'm just doing what I was told." _Shit that sounds bad! _"But I don't mind helping. I mean, it's cool." _Fucktard! _I added tongue-tied and flustered to my list of faults when I was around her. Stalker tendencies, possessive, obsessive…

"Well, thanks for bothering. Although, I have managed before just fine. I don't see what the big deal is now," she complained.

"Uncle Carlisle thinks it's your worst sprain so far," I informed, rejoining her in the entryway.

"Ugh! He said that?" she whined.

"Yeah. How many injuries have you had anyway? Uncle Carlisle wouldn't tell me, but it sounded like you see him a lot." _Great, so now you sound like you asked about her. _

"I don't want to talk about it," she grumbled, and I let the subject drop.

When we arrived at school, we had plenty of time to get Bella to class without worrying about either of us being late. I hadn't really thought about how she'd get around school without carrying her books.

"Uh, I'll come get you after first period and take you to your next class."

"Edward, I'm pretty sure I can find someone to help me and if not, it's a backpack, I can sling it over my shoulder."

"I know that, but my uncle said—"

"I know what your uncle said," she huffed. "He is my doctor and told me the same thing, but you know what? I have a lot of practice moving around on these things." She indicated the crutches.

As she stepped over the threshold and into the classroom, a crutch slipped out from under her. If I hadn't have been there, she would have fallen to the floor.

"You were saying?" I knew I was being a jackass for pointing out her balance issue, but I never claimed to be the good guy.

"You've made your point," she said with a hint of irritation, as she hop-crutched her way toward her desk. "The invalid will be in her seat, awaiting her slave boy's return."

"Slave boy?" _What the fuck?_

"Well, isn't that what you are? You're carrying my books, driving me to school—"

"Delivering sexual favors?" I hinted…hopefully. After all, she'd unknowingly helped me out that morning. I could at least return the favor in the here and now.

"Don't flatter yourself. I said slave, not lover."

I shrugged. "It's a fine line." _Love-slave. Slave to love. Put a leash on me…_

"Not in my mind," she snorted.

"I could cite some examples for you," I almost pleaded, thinking about her telling me what to do for her as she lay sprawled out in front of me.

"Edward…"

"What? Oh." I placed her bag on the desk and threw my hands up in surrender. "I'll be back after class. Don't move from this room, you got it?"

"Since you're my slave, aren't _I_ supposed to give _you _the orders?" She quirked her brow at me, and I added it to my mental list of her habits—under the "annoying" category.

"You could, but in this case I am your security, not your slave, so I give the orders." I wasn't going to budge on this one.

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You better get to class."

I knew she was just trying to get rid of me, because I still had ten minutes until the first bell. An idea presented itself, and I decided to do as she'd asked. "Alright, I'll see you after class." I turned and, after I was out of her view, rushed toward the admin office.

I opened the door with such force that all heads turned as I walked into the space. I watched as Shelly Cope smiled, recognizing me, then stood and approached the counter.

"Hello, Edward. What brings you into the office, dear?" She reminded me of my grandmother—overly sweet. "Oh, and how is your mother?"

"She's good. Mrs. Cope, I was wondering if you could help me out." _Time to turn on the Cullen charm._

"I can certainly try, sweetie. What is it?"

I leaned on my arms over the counter. "Well, my uncle and Chief Swan asked me to help the chief's daughter get around school. She has a really bad sprain—"

She gasped. "That poor girl! That Bella Swan just can't seem to stop tripping over herself."

_Fuck! How much does this chick get hurt? _"Yeah, she's on crutches, and Uncle Carlisle says that she needs to keep the weight off of it as much as possible, so I thought…" I paused for effect. _Turn on the sap!_ "Well, I thought I'd help her get to all her classes, but that will probably make me late." I paused again, because I really needed her to think that this was all her idea. "Do you know if there is _anything_ that _you_ or I can do to help poor Bella?"

She puckered her lips and chewed on the inside of her cheek for a minute, before she smiled, gasping happily. "I know just the thing. We'll get you a hall pass for the day and see how things go. Hopefully she'll be good for tomorrow."

"Uncle Carlisle says it's at least a week, maybe two. Do you think we could get the hall pass for the two weeks?" I urged. I may have been pushing my luck, but I really didn't want to have to come back to admin the next Monday.

She turned her head, looking at me sideways. "Oh, you! Let me see what I can do." She winked at me then walked behind a wall, disappearing from sight.

She returned not three minutes later with the pass in her hand, signed and ready for use.

"One week," she said. "If she needs another week, we'll issue a second pass, alright?"

"Thank you, Shelly, I mean Mrs. Cope." I winked at her, and I swear to shit, that old woman blushed. Like Bella blushed—only not cute or sexy. Just creepy.

-~~{()}~~-

It was a damn good thing I had convinced Mrs. Cope that I needed that hall pass. My ass was going to have to fly to get back to Bella, get her to her second period class, and then race back across campus to get to my own—all within five minutes.

I walked through the door of Bella's class just as her backpack swung off her shoulder, knocking her crutch into her ankle as she was making her way up the aisle.

"Son of a gaarrrrrrr!" she growled.

"What are you doing?" I questioned accusingly.

She huffed. "You were taking too long, and people are starting to enter for next period. I told you I could handle this."

"Yeah, I can see that. The bag hates being up on your shoulder so much that it wants to force you into another injury." The girl was going to hurt herself even more. She wasn't getting injured all the time just because she was accident prone, but because she was her own walking disaster. Well…limping, anyway.

She leaned on one crutch and slung the bag out toward me, nearly toppling herself.

I took the bag but let it drop, moving quickly to her side. "You alright?"

She shoved me lightly. "Yes. Just give me some breathing room."

I was in Hell. I fucking hated Mondays.

I got her to Government—the fucking class I'd just left—and booked my ass to Trig. The second bell sounded just as I got to the building. I was definitely happy I had the hall pass, but I didn't want to overuse that shit.

"Mister Cullen, thank you for gracing us with your presence this morning. I hope your pressing matter is taken care of." I could hear the sarcasm dripping with every word.

_Took care of it this morning, thank you very fucking much. _I grinned and walked right up to him, handing him the pass—much to his surprise.

His brow furrowed as his eyes narrowed looking over the slip. "How did you get this?" He held the paper up for me to see, as if I hadn't seen it yet.

"I'm helping an injured friend get around to her classes, sir," I replied. A low rumble of voices began running around the room.

"Take a seat. I _will_ check this out while you're doing your classwork." He shook the paper in front of me then looked over my shoulder at the others in the room. "Quiet down," he bellowed, and the room instantly fell silent.

"Thank you, sir." I turned and walked off toward my desk. I fucking hated kissing ass, but I didn't know any of these fucking teachers, and I really didn't need to be getting my ass in trouble. Any major trouble could get me benched, and as it was, I was a fucking nobody on the team. I was really starting to miss Chicago.

In the middle of our assignment, Mr. Varner called me up. "Cullen to the front."

I put my pencil into the binding of the open textbook, stood, and walked to stand in front of Varner's desk. I stood there for a few seconds, and when he didn't look up, I cleared my throat.

He raised his head a moment, cocked his brow at me and then looked back to his book, making more notations. A few minutes passed with me just standing there looking like an asshole as he scribbled some bullshit in his fucking journal.

Finally, he pulled the pass out from under his book and shoved it toward me. I gripped it, but he didn't let go.

"Even though you have this pass, it does not allow you to saunter into my classroom fifteen to twenty minutes tardy."

"I was only—"

"I didn't give you permission to speak," he interjected.

_What a hard-ass dickwad! I was less than a minute late._

"More than five minutes late and I will consider you to be abusing this permit. Are we clear _Mister_ Cullen?"

I nodded my understanding, keeping my mouth shut, because the asshole clearly didn't like me.

"You may return to your seat."

_Prick._

-~~{()}~~-

By lunch, I wondered why the fuck I had wanted to do this shit in the first fucking place. Things were not going how I had planned. At. Fucking. All. I could tell Bella was irritated as fuck with me, and I wasn't too happy about her grumpy ass either. I got us to the table with our group, asked her if she wanted anything, and when she uttered a simple "no," I took off for the lunch line. I needed some space, and I knew I wasn't going to get it after lunch, because we had Biology together.

I spent the entire lunch talking to Emmett and Jasper about the team's playbook. The plays seemed good enough, but it hadn't gotten them far enough in the last few years. Actually, it hadn't gotten them shit. I wondered if Clapp would be willing to listen to fresh blood. Hell, if he'd let me have a go as quarterback, I could probably show him a few things.

After lunch, Bella and I moved silently through the halls toward Biology. I was really fucking happy when I found out that our classwork that day was an individual assignment. Banner clearly stated no talking during class for this one. It was bookwork, so the only things he wanted to hear were pages turning and pencils scribbling. Fine by me.

When the bell rang to end the period, I heard Bella sigh. _ Just one more hour. I can make it through one more hour and a car ride._

"What's up?" I asked.

"Gym. How the hell do they expect me to do anything in P.E.?"

"Maybe they'll make you towel girl or some shit."

"That'd be just swell," she retorted.

"Let's just get you there and see what Coach decides to do with you." I really wanted to get her there and drop her off. Then I realized... "Um, I have practice after school."

"That's okay. I can have Alice give me a ride home."

_Thank fuck!_

"Shit! Just not today. I forgot they're on Jasper's motorcycle today."

_Damn it! Is nothing going to go my fucking way today?_ "Do you mind hanging out and watching practice? I can take you home after. I'm sure Alice will be there. I mean, Jasper has to be at practice, right?"

She nodded. "I can study while you practice. Maybe Alice and I can figure out the rest of the week."

"Wait, what about Emmett's girl?" Surely she could give her friend a ride.

"No she and her dad are running up to Port Angeles after school."

_Nope. Not a fucking thing is happening my way today._

-~~{()}~~-

When I went to get Bella from the gym, loads of chicks were coming out, but no Bella. I saw a group of girls talking by the door and decided to ask one of them if they'd seen her.

"Excuse me, can one of you tell me if Bella Swan is still in there?" I asked when I got near.

The girl standing right in front of me spun around, swinging her hair right into my face. "Eddie!" she shrieked, gripping my arm.

I had to stop myself from just shoving her off. I needed information, and if she was going to provide it, I had to stay calm and play nice.

"Now…what would you want with the town klutz? You need someone a bit more nimble." She leaned into me, further exposing her breasts that were already pouring out over her low cut sweater.

I removed my arm from her grip by grasping her fingers and bending them up. "Just tell me if she's still in there."

She tried gripping my arm again, but I backed up out of her reach. She was one persistent little bitch. "Come on, Eddie."

"The name is Edward, not Eddie. She's in there or she's not; that's all I need to know."

"She's not." A brunette with glasses, holding her books tight to her chest, answered for her.

"Do you know where she is?" I asked.

"Butt out, Angela," the first girl interrupted.

The brunette, Angela, looked down at the floor. "Jess, he just wants to know where Bella is."

I knew I'd known that bitch from somewhere. The fucking party Friday night. She was the reason Bella and I had left the way we did. The reason Bella ended up hurt.

I stepped between Angela and Jessica. I lowered my voice and gently palmed Angela's elbow, directing her away from the group. "You said Bella isn't in the gym. Do you know where she is?"

Angela nodded her head as her eyes glanced over my shoulder at Jessica.

"Don't worry about her; she won't do shit to you." I turned to look at the bitch who was straining to listen to every word we were saying. "Will you?"

"Of…of course not," she stammered, giving herself away.

I turned back to face the meek brunette, blocking her view of Jessica. "Where is Bella?"

"The library. She got permission to use this period as a study hour."

"Thank you." I gave her arm a light pat and ran off for the library. I hoped that Bella hadn't tried to make it out on her own, but when I got there, I found her leaning on the wall of the building. "Made it this far did you?"

"Yeah, well…I decided to wait for my slave boy," she emphasized the term.

I don't know what about that shit made me smile.

-~~{()}~~-

"Dude! A fucking F on the first Trig test! Coach is gonna pop a nut!" Emmett plowed his way down the line of lockers toward me. With all the bullshit from Varner, I'd forgotten we'd even gotten those damn things back.

Jasper looked up from lacing his cleats. "You ain't the only one that got jacked on that test. How the hell can Varner think that a week into classes we'd already know that much shit?"

I kept my mouth shut, because I had aced that test. Mathematics was never an issue for me and Trig wasn't much worse than Algebra had been. "I thought you got a C on that test Jasper."

"I did, but, dude, it seriously sucked to have to think that hard so early in the year," Jasper protested.

"No shit!" Emmett slapped Jasper on the back as I shook my head, laughing.

"Cullen! Office! Now!" Coach Clapp shouted out over the roar in the locker room.

"Yes, Coach!" I shouted in response.

"You better have your cup on, man." Emmett patted my shoulder as I walked past him to go to Coach's office.

I knocked on the door, and Coach waved me in. "You wanted to see me, Coach?"

"Have a seat, Cullen."

I sat in the dilapidated chair—with a duct-tape repaired cushion—opposite Coach. The office was so fucking small that I would have been willing to bet it was supposed to be a supply closet.

"It's been brought to my attention that your teammates are failing in Varner's classes. He's made sure to let me know that this first test was a warning. The next test will have the boys benched. I don't want to see your team benched unless I'm doing the benching, Cullen. You get me?"

"Yes, Coach." What was I going to say? No? Why did this concern me? I wasn't going to be one of the guys being benched for grades.

"Cullen, I'm making you the new quarterback which also makes you team captain. You've proven yourself out on the field there, and you've earned your chance. You're our starter beginning with practice today. I'll make the announcement before we start." He looked at me as if he was expecting some kind of thank you or some shit.

Why should I thank him for giving me the position he desperately needed a change in? Newton was no quarterback; Hell, he didn't even have the respect of his teammates.

Coach quirked a brow and frowned, before he continued. "As team captain, you need to pull those boys together and get their asses straight. Study sessions, extra runs…whatever it takes, but you make sure those boys are passing."

"Why me?" The question escaped me before I could stop it.

I saw his jaw flex and thought for sure I was in for it. "Because you seem to be the one that Varner is unable to rock. I've checked with your other teachers, and they all like you. Varner is the only one that has an issue with you. I think you're getting under the man's skin, and between you and me kid…I kind of like it. If you can get all those boys at least passing throughout the season, I would consider it a personal favor."

I only nodded, because I didn't know exactly what to say. Coach was getting off on me pissing Varner off, but I was going to take the brunt of the punishment because of it. It was one fucked up mess.

"Do we understand each other, Cullen? These boys need to pass."

"Yes, Coach." I knew they had to pass, but I didn't know how all these guys were going to take the new guy being Team Captain and telling them they had to study as a fucking group. _Fuck my life!_

"Fifteen minutes before I dismiss you girls from practice, I'll give you time for a pow-wow at the fifty. That all right by you, Cullen?"

"Yes, Coach."

"Good. Now, tell Newton I need him in my office, pronto," Coach said, dismissing me.

I made a hasty exit and as I was passing Mike, I let him know that Coach wanted to see him. Our practice was going to be a rough one. Once these guys learned I was their new quarterback and captain, there was going to be hell to pay.

-~~{()}~~-

After practice, I was going to shower, but knew Bella was waiting with Alice on the bleachers. Jasper was already at his locker changing out.

"What, no shower, blondie?" I tossed my hand towel at Jasper's head.

"Hey man, watch the hair," he whined.

"Dude, your hair is stuck to your sweaty head. Aren't you going to shower so your girl doesn't get a whiff of your stench?"

"Nah. She likes me all sweaty. Says it makes her think dirty thoughts. I'm all about giving those to my girl." He winked at me as he pulled his padded pants off.

"Enough said." I started undressing and loading my pads into my locker.

"So, you're chauffeuring Bella around?" Jasper asked seconds later.

"Yeah. I kind of told her dad and my uncle I would make sure she got around okay."

He nodded. "Good man. Well we can help out, if ya need it. Shit, we've been taking care of her for a while; it's good to have another body on the team."

"Team Bella." I pumped my fist.

He laughed. "Yeah, I know, but she's special, man."

"Yeah." I continued changing out, but with a bit more urgency. I wanted to get back to Bella and my plan. The day had been fucked, but I got all my shit worked out during practice. My scrimmage team scored during a safety play that I asked Coach to let me direct and was pretty fucking happy when it had all worked out. It and the hoo-rahs I'd received when Coach announced I was the new team captain were what I'd needed to set my mind back on track.

After Jasper and I had changed out, we walked out to meet the girls. We sat there for a few minutes going over Bella's schedule to see where the rest of the group could help out. We'd tried to get Emmett's attention when we saw him running down the track toward the parking lot, but he seemed like he was in a hurry and didn't hear us. Jasper promised to let Rosalie in on everything when he got home, and he was pretty sure Emmett would be there too.

-~~{()}~~-

"Well, if you want, I can help. I can breeze through math pretty easily and could probably help to tutor some of the guys," she offered after I'd told her what Coach had requested. Or was it demanded?

I thought about Bella's offer for all of two seconds. "You want to be hanging around a bunch of sweaty, smelly football jocks that are all pumped up because they just left practice?" I hoped I made it sound horrible enough so that she'd say no.

"Well when you put it that way…no." Bella's nose scrunched up in disgust, and I wanted to pat myself on the back for succeeding in keeping her away from the team agreed upon Thursday study sessions. Then I wanted to fucking kick myself for keeping her away. The cramming meant one less day a week in getting to know her.

"You know what we can do though? If you want…" _I hope this works. _"We could study Monday through Wednesday. I mean we'll have to partner up soon enough on a lab for Biology, and it's not like it could hurt me to have someone to study with or run ideas by." I sounded like a fucking nerd trying to get his first date. I couldn't ever remember being this fucking nervous.

"Yeah, that sounds good. It would be nice to have a steady study partner," she agreed, grinning. "We can trade off houses if you want."

"Cool." I stared out the windshield, focusing on the road ahead and trying not to grin like a fucking idiot.

My plan was in play. With the additional study time, "Learning Bella" was at three days of operation. I had a few hours after practice on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays—if I worked my offensive right. Thursdays were studying with the team, Fridays were game days with a party after, and Saturdays and Sundays…well, who the fuck knew what she did on the weekends?

-~~{()}~~-

Bella put her pencil down and closed her book. "Done," she said proudly with a smile on her face.

It was only our second day studying together, but I had decided to make it interesting. I'd made a bet that I could finish my Trig worksheet before she finished hers.

"How the fuck did you finish that so fast?" I asked incredulously. She'd worked the entire page of problems in only half an hour. I was still halfway up the page.

She shrugged and sneered a little. "They aren't that hard for me."

Something was definitely up because she was chewing on her lip. I didn't know her well, but I knew that was a nervous tick for her. "Let me see your paper," I demanded, nodding at her work.

Her mouth dropped open, obviously shocked that I had asked. "Wha…no." She regained her composure and sat up straighter, licking her lips. She had to be bluffing because she started gnawing on her bottom lip again.

I really wished she would have cut that shit out. Who the fuck knew that shit was a turn on? "Then you don't win."

"Yes, I do. I'm done," she insisted

"Then let me see your paper."

"No."

I turned to peer up at her. "Why not?"

"Because if I say I'm done, then I'm done." She crossed her arms over her chest –_ Thank you for wearing a crew-neck t-shirt, I don't think my dick can handle cleavage today —_and leaned back into the couch cushion.

"Oh, no you don't. This shit don't work that way," I insisted.

"My town, my rules?" It had come out as a question, but I was sure she meant it as a clear and precise statement.

"Bella?" I asked, rising from the floor and slowly moving toward her. I was going to see that paper one way or another.

She had nowhere to go. Her crutches were leaning on the wall by the door, because I had helped her over to her couch so that she could be comfortable. She quickly shoved the paper into her textbook and slammed it into her bag.

Her action had me grinning. "That's not going to stop me."

She snatched the bag up and clutched it tightly to her chest. "What are you going to do? Take my bag from me? That would be stealing."

"I prefer to look at it as borrowing for the two minutes it will take me to remove the paper."

"Oh, so then you plan on cheating on your homework by going over my answers."

I had to give her credit—she was good at the game; but I was better.

"No, I just want to prove to myself that someone I have a bet with actually did the work instead of doodling like I think she did." I was poised and ready to grab the bag from her.

She tightened her grip when she saw my hands reaching out to take it from her.

"Bella? Are you ticklish?" I asked, but I already knew the answer to that from last Friday.

"You wouldn't dare!"

"You want to try me?" _ Let me try. Come on, Bella. Dare me to try._ I knew I could do it. Girls were always easy to get to this was how I'd gotten to Tanya's cousin Heidi when Tanya was sick. Tanya had asked me to take her to her friend Kate's house, but I'd taken the opportunity to get to know Heidi a little better instead. Really, she'd gotten to know me better. I just watched Heidi do her thing and felt pretty fucking happy in the car on the way to the theater—and back—and in the back row for some dumbass movie neither of us really wanted to see.

Bella regarded me for a minute, reached into her backpack and pulled out the book.

_Damn! How do I get to this girl?_ I couldn't believe it. I'd pulled out some of my best shit in the last few days and she was not dealing with it in the way I thought she would. I'd have to figure out some new moves, because I really wanted this girl.

-~~{()}~~-

The following Monday, we got started talking on our goals for the future. It was the only thing I could think of to get her talking about herself. I knew very little from conversations with Jasper and Emmett, but there was only so much I could get them to spill without looking like a fucking stalker. They'd asked me to help protect her, not try to get into her fucking pants. If they knew that shit, they'd probably kick my ass. Fuck, if they knew about the dreams and subsequent shower sessions, my ass would probably be pounded into pavement by now.

"What I want to do is go to a university that has a good football program. Dad wants me to go to one that has a good pre-med curriculum."

"Wow. Your plans are bigger than mine."

"How do you mean?"

"I just want to go to college to learn to write better. Maybe get into publishing."

"What for?"

She did that annoying shrug again. "I've always loved reading. You can throw yourself into a whole other world by reading a well-written and descriptive book." She looked at me and pushed the air from her lungs. "Anyway, before long, writing became second nature. But I always go back and reread some of the classics like Thoreau, Dickinson, Faulkner, Shakespeare, Poe, and Austen."

"Do you have a favorite author?"

"There are so many wonderful classic writers that it's hard for me to pick one as my favorite, so I just say all of them are my favorite."

"Do you like anything newer?" I knew the classic writers—they were some of my mom's favorites—but I wondered if she'd read anything a little newer like Rice or King. Not all the old shit.

"Well…yes, but I love my classics. The language draws you into another time."

"That's probably because they _are_ from another time," I noted.

"Yes, I know…" she huffed. "But that's what makes them so intriguing."

I didn't get it, but it was probably a chick thing. Mom said the older eras had always interested her and if she wanted to know about the here and now, she'd just watch the news. Female logic—whatever.

I briefly wondered if there was a university out there that could have a really good football program, be pre-med, and have a good writing/publishing curriculum. It was probably something I should look up. Just in case.

-~~{()}~~-

"I don't know about this…" Trepidation was evident in my voice. I had brought this shit up, but now I was starting to doubt myself. She'd added a few rules of her own and things could turn on me very quickly.

"There's always the dare if you refuse to answer," she offered, sounding hopeful.

I couldn't refuse her. The trade off was too great, but I was nervous about what she may find out about me. "Oh-kay." My voice sounded as squeaky as it had when I was twelve.

She bit her lower lip, but I could see the huge smile she was trying to tame. I was making her happy by agreeing to this and that was enough for me. I would tell her whatever she wanted to know.

"How many girlfriends have you had?"

Except that.

"You go straight for the jugular, don't you?" I was stalling, internally debating on whether or not to tell her the truth. Did the number really matter? Or was it the actions with those girls that would make the difference? I was fucked either way.

"Hey, you wanted to play twenty questions, so don't you dare blame me."

"I wasn't—"

"You're stalling, Eddie." She used that fucking nickname, after I'd already told her it bothered me. She was also the only person I would allow to get away with that shit.

"Why do you hate that so much?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Which question do you want answered? 'Cause I am not letting you ask two before I can get one in." _Please let it be the nickname, please—_

"Girlfriends," she said with certainty, nodding to emphasize her choice.

_Fuck. _"Why do you want to know that anyway?"

"Stalling, Cullen. If you don't answer, it's going to cost you."

"Oh yeah? What will it cost me?"

"I'll go to Jessica and tell her you want to date her, but you're too chickenshit to ask."

"You wouldn't do that to me."

"Try me," she challenged.

"One."

"One? Get real! How many really?"

"Are we talking dated, like one or two dates or a fucking relationship?" Yeah, "fucking" was about all Tanya had been about.

She shrugged. "I don't see the difference."

"There is."

"Then both."

"But that would be two questions."

"No it wouldn't."

"Yes it would."

"No it wouldn't. It's only one. How many girlfriends have you had? That includes dating."

"Not in my world."

"You're cheating."

"On the contrary, I'm merely adhering to your rule. Girlfriend indicates a relationship. You don't have to have a girlfriend, or a boyfriend in your case, to date someone."

"You're skating around the question."

"No, I'm sticking to definition."

"Just answer the question."

"I did. I've had one girlfriend."

"Not possible."

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"There's no way you've only had one girlfriend."

"Why is that?"

"Well…" Her cheeks and nose shone a beautiful pink, and her neck started to get splotchy. "I mean, you're good-looking enough, you had to have more than one girlfriend."

_She thinks I'm good-looking. Score one for Cullen. _"If you don't believe me, we can ask my mom."

"Do you always call your mommy out to have your back?"

"So you believe me then?"

"I guess I have to…for now."

"My turn. How many boyfriends have _you_ had?"

"None."

"Now who's lying?" There was no way this girl had never had a boyfriend. No fucking way. Someone had to at least have tried to get with her.

"I'm not, I swear. I have really good guy friends, but I haven't dated and I don't have a boyfriend. Never have."

"Bullshit."

"Are _you_ calling _me_ a liar?"

"Alright, alright. I give. What's next?"

"What did you want to be when you grew up?"

"A Chicago policeman. I always thought those guys were the coolest." I couldn't keep the grin off my face, reliving the times we would go to the Saint Patrick's Day Parade on Columbus Drive.

"Why?" She was asking a second question, but I was going to let her skate on it, because this was information I didn't mind sharing, and I could probably use the "additional information given" clause to my benefit.

"Mom and Dad always found the best spot. They knew Grant Park would be packed, because that was the midway point for the parade so we'd always camp a spot somewhere toward the beginning. Dad liked the beginning so we could get out of there sooner. Watching those guys march by in their dress uniforms was always so cool to me when I was a kid."

"Do you miss it?"

"What? Chicago?" She nodded. "Yeah, I mean, sometimes. It was my home forever, ya know. I grew up there. When my parents told me we were moving here, I thought it was a fucking joke. Dad was a well-known cardiologist; people really asked for him. He had politicians, mobsters—"

Bella gasped. "Mobsters?"

"Well, yeah. It's no big deal, Bella. They need doctors too ya know." I realized I had been answering more questions, giving information about myself, and I still hadn't learned shit about Bella. "Anyway. What about you? What did little Bella want to be when she grew up?"

"Don't laugh…but I wanted to be a ballerina." She paused, probably waiting for me to bust a gut, but that wasn't happening.

I wanted to hear what she had to say, so I sat there and stared at her, waiting for more.

She looked at her ankle before continuing. "It's silly to think about that stuff now, because I am such a horrible klutz. Honestly, I was a horrible dancer, but I loved it. Actually, more than anything, I probably loved that my mother liked to watch me." A deep frown marred her face, and I began to wonder if this was a good idea. "I had to tell my mom I didn't want to do it anymore when some of the older kids made fun of me after our Swan Lake recital."

"What happened?

"Doesn't that make it a double question?"

"Yeah... okay you can ask me two. What happened? Why did they tease you?" I had already forgotten about the multiple questions she had asked me.

"I went into a pirouette and sort of…fell on my face." Her voice had lowered when she'd said the last part.

"Well that's not cool. How old were you?"

"Eight. Some of the older girls were changing into their street clothes after the show and said that if they were keeping me in, we'd need to rename it _Swan Dive._"

I tried really fucking hard not to laugh. I'd even pulled my water glass to my mouth to hide my huge grin, but it was fucking funny, and it just burst out. I spluttered water all over the counter.

"Hey, you said you wouldn't laugh."

I calmed myself down enough to talk. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh, but you have to admit…that was fucking funny." I cleared my throat and tried to get back to being serious, clenching my fists so tight that my clipped nails dug into my palms. "Or not." _Tread lightly. You're getting to know her._

-~~{()}~~-

The second Wednesday of our sessions, I decided to get daring. Bella had an appointment with Uncle Carlisle on Friday, and I wasn't sure if she was going to be willing to continue studying with me after he declared her well enough to be without her "slave boy."

"Where's your mom?" I asked, in the middle of completing yet another Trig assignment. I could swear Varner fucking hated kids. That douche gave us homework last Friday, and it wasn't fucking one sheet. No he'd given us four sheets. Four fucking sheets of homework over a weekend. It was only the end of the second week of school for fuck's sake.

I saw Bella's shoulders hunch as she buried herself further into the textbook. "She's in Arizona," she stated flatly.

"Do you get to see her at all?"

She shrugged.

I'd learned that this was something she did when she really didn't want to answer shit. I could have just let the subject drop, but I could tell that it was definitely a sore spot for her. I needed to know why. Yeah, I know—selfish prick.

"So, that's a no?" I guessed.

"Not really. She stays in her own little world, and I am happy with Dad." She continued to work out a problem in her notebook.

"That must suck." I was pushing the issue, but I couldn't imagine myself without my mom. Call me a mama's boy, but she was who I went to when I needed solid advice regarding chicks. Going to Dad was just embarrassing. His suggestions were a bit outdated.

"Yeah, I guess." She'd shrugged again, which told me I needed to drop this shit quick or she was never going to spill another word about her life.

-~~{()}~~-

Play "Learning Bella" was a definite success, but I knew it couldn't end. There was so much more to this girl, and I had to admit, she had me hook, line, and sinker.

I'd gotten to know a lot about the girl that had captured my attention that first day in Forks High. She was amazing, and though I couldn't quite pinpoint what it was about her that got me interested in the first place, I knew I wanted to belong to her.

I knew her favorite authors. Her goals for the future didn't seem overly ambitious to me, but the way she made it sound, had me wanting to write in journals of my own. Her music tastes were as eclectic as mine. Her playfulness and willingness to play the mindfuck game, had won me over more than anything else.

I still had the same dreams playing out in my head. I still needed long showers with that same image of her running over and over, but in different outfits. The only new glimpse I had been able to get from the real Bella had been a sliver of skin when her t-shirt had ridden up when she'd stretched to get something out of her kitchen cabinet. That little sliver had my tongue wanting to run a trail along her waistband.

Oh, and that shit with her eyebrow? Yeah… it now invaded my dreams as she unbuttoned her shirt. It was fucking hot, and I couldn't find fault with it anymore.

I was actually upset that I wasn't needed by Bella anymore. As much of a pain in the ass things had been in the beginning, they were perfect now. Well, not perfect, but a hell of a fucking lot better than they were.

Chicago was quickly becoming a memory. Don't get me wrong, I fucking love Chicago, it's home…I was just starting to like Forks a little more. Because of her. Learning Bella and all her quirks was making life in this small podunk town a lot more fun.

-~~{()}~~-

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this. Edward exploding was such a relief to us all, but especially to my beautifully spunky Team Leader I_luv_Spunk. LOL**

**I gave my team the option of keeping this all to themselves, but they were all so kind as to let you all taste the sweet victory. **giggle****


End file.
